Magnified by Meaning

Out of the greatest darkness can come the brightest light.

Such was the story of Viktor Frankl, the holocaust survivor who went on to pioneer a form of psychotherapy that reintegrated what had been lost by so many in the modern world: meaning.

There are many who wake up every day without a clear sense of meaning or purpose for their lives. They may experience a constant boredom or an absence of energy. Often they might seek to numb the low-grade pain of this void in various unhealthy ways—with power, with pleasure, or with something else that allows them to escape for a moment from that draining reality.

The good news is that no one has to be trapped in such an existence. There is a better life available, and Frankl offers us helpful guidelines for how to enter into a life magnified by meaning. Here are three of them:

One of his most important principles is that “the true meaning of life is to be found in the world rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system.” In other words, he tells us that as beneficial as personal retreats can be, we will not find the meaning of our lives simply by gazing at our navels in solitude. We will find it rather by engaging with the world around us, with the people around us, with the reality of our past and the potential of our future. Elsewhere Dr. Frankl writes, “I think the meaning of our existence is not invented by ourselves, but rather detected.”

A second critical principle is that there is no such thing as an abstract or general meaning of life. Because every human being is unique and unrepeatable, the meaning or purpose of his or her life must also be unique and unrepeatable. In Frankl’s own words:

The meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters therefore is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment….One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. In this he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.

Even for believers within a spiritual tradition that provides general or abstract principles regarding the purpose of life, they must still apply those principles within the specific contexts and particularities of their lives. Otherwise, those principles remain words without flesh, unreal ideas deprived of concrete expression.

Dr. Frankl adds that meaning is not just found in work, but also in love:

This uniqueness and singleness which distinguishes each individual and gives a meaning to his existence has a bearing on creative work as much as it does on human love. When the impossibility of replacing a person is realized, it allows the responsibility which a man has for his existence and its continuance to appear in all its magnitude. A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life.

Finally, Frankl calls us to decisive action. Detecting our life’s purpose and meaning is not just a head game of reflection or meditation. Every moment sets before us infinite possibilities. The stories and meaning of our lives are determined by the choices and decisions we make, by what we do and by what we don’t do. Reflecting on his and his comrades’ experience in the concentration camps, Dr. Frankl writes:

We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.

If you want to live a life magnified by meaning, remember these lessons from Viktor Frankl:

1. Meaning is not found within ourselves. It is beyond us, and it is found by engaging with the world and especially the people around us. It lives in the space between.
2. Meaning is not abstract and general but rather as unique and unrepeatable as a human fingerprint. It is not static but ever-changing.
3. Meaning is not just understood through talk and reflection. It is also created by the decisive actions that are our answers to the questions and problems of life that confront us.

By living into the truth of these principles, by living a life magnified by meaning, you also can become a reflection of light in a world darkened by its absence.